


Nine Questions

by Mochas N Mayhem (KoohiiCafe)



Series: Four Time Travelers She Loved, and One Time She Time Traveled [3]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-01
Updated: 2012-09-01
Packaged: 2017-11-13 08:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/501597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoohiiCafe/pseuds/Mochas%20N%20Mayhem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a double rhythm that made her heart tighten in her chest for a moment at the memory of the last time she'd heard a sound like that, a memory of kisses, and teasing, and stories, and of a strange love that none of her friends had really understood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nine Questions

**Author's Note:**

> **Title:** Nine Questions  
>  **Author:** Koohii Cafe  
>  **Rating:** General Audiences  
>  **Crossover:** BtVS/Doctor Who  
>  **Disclaimer:** Since I am a poor chickadee with no wealth to speak of, I think it's safe to say that neither BtVS nor Doctor Who are mine. ^^;  
>  **Written for:** [Pick From a Hat Challenge](http://www.tthfanfic.org/Challenge-309/Pick+From+a+Hat.htm%20)  
>  **Summary:** _It was a double rhythm that made her heart tighten in her chest for a moment at the memory of the last time she'd heard a sound like that, a memory of kisses, and teasing, and stories, and of a strange love that none of her friends had really understood._  
>  **Author's Note:** The third pick from a 'Pick From A Hat' challenge, and the third of my '[Four Time Travelers She Loved, and One Time She Time Traveled](http://archiveofourown.org/series/25271)' series.

It was a double rhythm that made her heart tighten in her chest for a moment at the memory of the last time she'd heard a sound like that, a memory of kisses, and teasing, and stories, and of a strange love that none of her friends had really understood. It was a four beat drumming that sent her running down the alley in a loud clatter of heels, gracefulness of her calling abandoned in a frantic need to find her before she disappeared again. But when she rounded a corner, to find the source of that pit-a-pit, pat-a-pat, she slid to a confused stop, because the sight that greeted her was nothing like the fiery lover she hadn't seen in so long.

He was tall, dark, and broad shouldered, brooding in a way that very distantly reminded her of Angel all those years ago, and he was trying to ward off a vampire with some kind of buzzing penlight that was letting off a _really_ annoying sound that made her ears hurt a bit. Which- the vampire didn't seem to like much better than Buffy did, since it was grimacing and backing away, clutching its ears. Then the man with the two hearts noticed her and grinned maniacally, still buzzing away at the retreating vampire, and any and all possible thoughts of her brooding first love flew out the window.

"Hullo there; I don't suppose you have any kind wood on you, do you? Pencil, stick, tree branch, just about anything'll do," Not-River asked cheerfully, and the vampire growled.

"Gotta say no on the pencil, stick, or tree branch," she answered, returning his grin despite the noise still emanating from his penlight, because it was kind of contagious. "Will a stake do?"

"Fantastic!" His grin kicked up another notch, which she hadn't thought possible, and the vampire's eyes widened as she pulled out said stake.

" _Slayer!_ " it hissed, and she rolled her eyes.

"What, you couldn't think of something more original? Last seconds of your unlife, and you're going to go out with a cliche? Now that's just _sad_." The vampire roared, letting go of its ears to lunge at her in attack, but it was off balance from the buzzing and Buffy was ready for it; within seconds it was dust in the wind, and the man was shutting off his penlight and giving her an oddly assessing look behind the grin that she had to wonder about the authenticity of. He stuffed the thing into his pocket and turned to fully face her, and his double heartbeat was even more obvious in the silence left behind.

"Slayer, huh?" He arched an eyebrow and sauntered towards her with that look still in his eyes. "Slayer of _what_ , exactly?"

"Tell you mine when you tell me yours; why do you have two hearts?"

_Thud-a-thud, thud-a-thud._

"What?" His eyes narrowed, and the look went deeper, as if he could see right through her. The smile disappeared, and when he spoke again, his voice was flatter. "I'm an alien."

"I slay vampires," she returned easily. "What _kind_ of alien?"

"Why do you ask?" he challenged, arms crossing over his broad chest with a creaking of leather. Buffy paused for a moment, deciding, and then,

"I knew someone else with two hearts."

_Thud-a-thud, thud-a-thud._

" _Who?_ " A demand this time, with barely enough time for a beating of his hearts to sound, and she smirked.

"Ah, ah, ah, you have to answer my question first." And by the scowling twist of his lips, he did _not_ like that answer. But, after letting out something of a growl, he spoke again.

"The kind not from Earth. Now tell me; _who_."

"That is _so_ not an answer," the blonde complained, but when his lips parted to growl something back, she continued. "A woman." Vague answer for a vague answer, take that, Mr. Grouchy Pants. "What planet are you from?"

"One you've never heard of. What was her name?"

"One you've never heard before."

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"You started it," she smirked, and he threw his hands up in frustration. Served him right. He was turning his back to her, large hand running through his oh so short hair, and then turning back, face snarled up and ready to launch when- "Let's start over. I'm Buffy. And you are?"

She held her hand out, to shake. His hearts went _thud-a-thud, thud-a-thud_ and he stared at her hand. Then, finally, he took it.

"I'm the Doctor." Those dark eyes rose to stare into hers, and she'd heard that name before, because it wasn't a title, not the way he said it, it was a _name_. She heard it twice, from two different lovers, but she'd never realized that it was the same person, or that she'd ever meet him. And she saw it in his eyes when he recognized her spark of recognition, and he opened his mouth to ask-

"Spoilers." Oh god, she'd never thought that word would come out of _her_ mouth. The Doctor's eyebrows furrowed, and once more she interrupted him before he could start. "I know, it's frustrating, but- kinda necessary. She wouldn't tell me anything either, and I think it had something to do with having to find out for yourself. More fun that way, right?"

She could see the argument fight its way through him, as different emotions swirled like a storm through his eyes. Disbelief and anger, frustration, consuming desire to _know_ , and acceptance. Finally, acceptance. He looked down at their joined hands for a long moment, and when he met her eyes again, there was the tiniest bit of calm in his gaze.

"It's nice to meet you, Buffy." Beat, beat. "What kind of name is 'Buffy' anyway?"

"What kind of name is 'the Doctor?'" she challenged back, and he grinned. It was a _great_ name, thank you, he told her, as they began to walk off.

They talked that night for hours, and roamed the streets of London, and ran across all kinds of trouble before he took off in a blue box, with a whooshing sound that she knew intimately. And he came back, over and over, always with a whooshing and the double beat of his hearts. He never stayed, and she never went with him, but she found that every time she saw him, she loved him a little more, with a love instilled in her heart by others, long before she actually met him.


End file.
